Inspire. Motivate. Encourage.

The last five years

Five years ago today I moved from Halifax, NS to Victoria, BC to be with Warren and it was the best decision I ever made. I know some friends were hesitant of me moving because I had only known Warren for five months and the majority of them had never met him. They can see how happy I am though through my pictures and status updates on Facebook.

Canada Day morning at the Willows Beach in 2008Our first drink together in Victoria at Maude Hunters Pub.

The day I arrived we dropped my things off at the room we were renting for a few months and then we went for a walk to Maude Hunters Pub for a drink and some food. The next day, Canada Day, we drove all along Beach Drive and Dallas Road so I could see the mountains and the beautiful area I now call home.

I have come a long way in the past five years. I have become much more active and you can find me on one of my bikes, running, at the gym, climbing mountains or doing stair repeats. Being fit and healthy is just part of who I am now and I love it. It really helps as well that Warren lives such an active lifestyle and we both love to explore and see things. We feed off each other and are always looking for new things to do. I love that I can go out for a run and find a place that I think is really neat and then come home to tell Warren to see if he knows about it.

When I first moved to Victoria I had a part-time job working at Garage. I wanted to make sure I had some income coming in before I moved…even if it wasn’t a lot. I moved around from job to job for various reasons like: layoffs, businesses closing, or temp contracts expiring. As of this January though I received a permanent full-time position with Royal Roads University (RRU) working as a Program Associate in the School of Tourism and Hospitality. I love my job and the group of people I work with. I have made some wonderful friends from RRU and they are very special to me.

Before I moved to Victoria I had only done one running race and it was the Bluenose 10k in May 2008. At the time it felt like the hardest thing I had ever done. Warren was back in Victoria and I remember calling him to tell him how it went. I have now ran many races and even done a few duathlons and if Warren isn’t around he is still my first call or text. I love that he got me started in entering races.

Since being in Victoria I have learned a lot about myself and what makes me tick and what doesn’t work for me. I have really grown as a person and am able to communicate my thoughts and my feelings because I was never very good at that before. I also know that exercise keeps me sane and not moody…and this tid bit makes our marriage an even happier one. We are always encouraging and motivating each other in everything we do.

We have done so much these past five years and the memories of all of our adventures are still talked about today. I look forward to the next five years and what they will hold. I am sure more road trips, cycling, running and climbing more mountains are just a few things.